A standout of the musical film-bio genre, THE JOLSON STORY was a box office smash, despite the fact that it contained just about every show business cliche imaginable. It's a highly idealized portrait of Jolson, remembered by everyone who knew him to have been as personally difficult as he
was professionally talented. Jolson was Larry Park's first big role after five years of strictly small-time work, and he took full advantage of the opportunity, delivering a top-caliber performance.
Jolson's real story--a mixture of joy, anger, bitterness, and superstardom--is mixed with JAZZ SINGER-inspired fictionalization, charting his youth in vaudeville, his parents's desire that he follow another career, and his eventual rise to the top. Coached by Jolson himself (who dubs Parks'
singing voice), Parks perfectly captures the entertainer's famous mannerisms, including his whistling and deliberate interruptions in the middle of a show to stop and banter with the audience. Ruby Keeler, Jolson's third wife (of four), refused to allow her name to be used in the film (her
character here is renamed Julie Benson). The musical numbers were pleasingly staged by Joseph H. Lewis. leave a comment